The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1887-10-13

whom she had always been upon terms OF
the most painful constraint.~s She did not
show that letter to Miss Harsden, al.
though she could hear her singing softly
IN the nursery above a merry song of the
old times for Master Toms benefit; she
managed to get through it herself with
her weary old eyes, and then she went
away to her own room, and there, slowly
and painfully, wrote dutiful letter in re.
turn, asking him to come and stay with
her when he reached Edinburgh. This
invitation he did not accept, to the poor
old lady's great relief; but he came to
see her and his boy as soon as he arrived.
know be would not fail to do so,
my DEAR" she said to Miss Marsden on
the evening after the dreaded visit; and
as she spoke she put up her wrinkled old
hand and wiped away the tears that rolled
down her furrowed cheeks. sHe alwa vs.
does what is right; he is Trustworthy
man, but not lOv2ble - oh, not at aH-not
the least like the man fancied my Janet
would have chosen!"
Then there followed futter of exulta-
tion and pride. The Indian merchant
was a clever as well as prosperous man,
he was an authority upon most things
that came under his notice, and he was to
give lecture on something or other con
nectcd with India, which she did not
quite understand. Would Miss Marsden
go with her? Miss Marsden hesitated
tor few moments; she was very busy,
and, as she was not in the least curious
or excited about Mr.. Smith, she was more
than half inclined to say 80, when the
pleading look in the old lady's eyes, fixed
so eagerly upon her, conquered her reso-
luton.
:" will go," she said, feeling that it
was duty she owed to her dear old
friend.
On their way to the hall where the lee
ture was to be delivered she thought
neither of Mr.. Smith nor of Janet, lying
lar away in her quiet grave, nor of Janet 8
mother by her side, nor of Janet's lit
tie son, whom she had left quarter of an
hour before in the rosy sleep of healthy,
happy childhood. Although as rule she
thought but little of her own affairs, on
that particular evening her mind was full
Of thoughts of her work and her last sub
ject, lady who was neither young nor
fair, and the expression of whose withered
features she had some difficulty in catch
ing.
While they were sitting in the hall
waiting for the appearanc ce of the lecturer
she was thinking of this, and wondering
tretfully if her skilfulness of hand and
correctness Of eye were leaving her
thinking not at all of what was going on
around her-when Mrs. Saunders touched
her arm, and whispered
There he is -
With startled air, as if she had been
suddenly reused from sleep, she turned,
and with careless Indifferent ewes looked
toward the platform. Then suddenly, at
the sight Of the lecturer, with a wild,
shrill cry she sprang to her feet. She
tried to speak, but her voice failed her !;
only hoarse, cultural cry came from her
pale lips, and with gesture of despair
she threw up her arms wildly and then
fell down in a swoon.
She was removed Immediately; but it
was more than half an hour before she
could be taken home, and then it was not
her own house, but to Mrs. Saunders that
they took her, and laid her on the couch
in the pretty drawing room, while Mrs.
Saunders, having done all that was neces-
sary for her comfort, sat down beside her,
wiping her old eyes from time to time, for
she was very much agitated and strangely
exercised in her mind She kept saying
to herself almost incessantly in an under
tone:
He is trustworthy man, if he is any
thing. Oh, yes, surely he is a trustwor-
thy man, and my Janet is past trouble
and at rest"
From time to time she looked wistfully
down at the gentle face which had become
so dear 10 her, but it was as it had ever
been, like closed book she could only
see that it was strangely changed-vivid
emotion had transformed it, as if by
miracle. The passionless calm which had
been its Distinguishing characteristic was
gone, the sweet, sad eyes were cleaning
with wild, strange light, and in the pale
checks there was feverish flush of color
t hat changed at every sound, while every
passing footstep on the pavement outside
made Helen tremble.
Oh, how long those two hours seemed
in which he did not come, and, oh, how
strange it all was to Mrs. Saunders when
he did come at last He was not the
stately, proud, cold man he had always
to her, but eager, excited, bend
ing forward, as if he would rush headlong
into the room. He did not notice her at
at all; she was only of secondary import
ance-she belonged to Janet and his mar
riage OF convenience, not to the passionate
past, the memories of which were over
mastering him. So the old lady thought /;
and momentary pang Of jealousy pierced
her heart He had eyes only for the pale
lovely figure on the sofa; 1t was to her
he went, AMI throwing himself down upon
his knees beside her, he clasped her hand
in both his own.
"Helen, Helen ~ he cried in a voice
shrill with excitement and hope.
He thought only of her, saw only her /;
but she had caught a glimpse of poor
Mrs. Saunders perplexed face, and
springing up from the sofa, grasped her
hands.
"We loved each other in youth" she
said breathlessly; we were one in heart
and soul. Now, we meet after years of
hopeless separation it is as thoug h he
were given back to me from the dead.
You understand 2"
Mrs. Saunders did not understand at all,
but in due time and after many explana-
tions it was made plain to her. The two
before her had been engaged to each other
in Helen's girlhood long before, but they
were moor. and he had resolved to go to